Wolvigar
by Wolvigar Darkfang
Summary: The story of Wolvigar, a Death Knight whose paths taken led him through many adventures.
1. Prologue: The Escape

He was dead. They were free. At long last, the Worgen of Shadowfang Keep would no longer suffer in captured servitude to Arugal.

The Worgen who survived the raid on the Keep rushed to escape, before they met the same fate as their unfortunate brethren. While most of the Worgen ran scattered around Silverpine Forest, one particular Worgen made his way north-east. Though he had escaped Shadowfang Keep, this Worgen was unfortunate to have traveled into the Plaguelands, where he was found and killed by the Scourge.


	2. Chapter 1: The Raising

He opened his eyes. Where was he? _What_ was he?

"Can you hear me?" Said a quiet voice near to him.

He seemingly struggled to say anything. But, finally, a few short words escaped his mouth.

"Yes... I can."

As he looked over, he saw who the quiet voice belonged to. A man, with pale skin, wearing dark armor. The man seemed to be somewhat happy.

"Well then, I'll be damned again. Looks like your kind _can_ be risen into undeath, somehow." The armored man told him.

"My... my kind? What do you mean?" He asked, speaking being easier by the moment.

"Worgen. How the hell can you not know what you are?"

"I... I don't..."

"What's your name?" The armored man asked.

"I don't know." He replied, confused.

"Well damn, the conversion process must have wiped your memory, or something. You're a Worgen, a damned wolf-man. Well, if you're going to be of any use, you might as well have a name. I think I'll call you Wolvigar... fitting for a beast like yourself." The armored man told him, offering his hand to help pull Wolvigar up from the table where he had been laying.

"Thank you." Wolvigar said as he was helped up. "Who are you?" He asked.

"You can call me Marrow. That's what everyone else calls me, at least."

"I see. Where am I, Marrow?" Wolvigar asked as he followed Marrow outside the house he had been in.

"You're in the Eastern Plaguelands. More specifically, you're in the city of Stratholme..." Marrow explained, laughing before he continued speaking. "...not much of a city anymore, though."

"Why not?" Wolvigar asked, curious.

"The Scourge wiped out anyone still alive inside these damned walls. You're just lucky you're with us, rather than ending up resurrected by some of the damned Paladin fools holding out in the chapel."

"Why has the Scourge killed everyone?"

"That's just what we do. Can't have more of us unless there are less of them." Marrow explained as they walked along the street.

"So... I am a part of the Scourge, then?"

"Damn right you are. You're one of the luckier ones, though. Our necromancers have been trying to find out how we could raise Worgen as Scourge, and thanks to my idea you're one of our first Worgen Death Knights."

"What's a Death Knight?"

Marrow chuckled for a moment. "One of the most powerful type of Scourge there is. That's all you really need to know."

Wolvigar nodded slowly. "What am I to do, from here on?"

"Well, since you were just recently risen as a Death Knight, you'll be sent up to Naxxramas to train with the rest of the recruits being taught by Instructor Razuvious."

"What's Naxxramas?"

Marrow pointed up into the sky. As Wolvigar looked upwards, he saw a large pyramid-like structure floating high in the air. "That's Naxxramas. It's our base of operations, here in the Plaguelands."

"I see. And I am to go to Naxxramas to be trained?"

Marrow nodded. "That you are. Go back near the house we raised you at, and I'll get some of the other Death Knights here to escort you to Naxxramas. Be ready, Razuvious won't withhold his teachings, but he doesn't withhold his punishments, either."

Wolvigar nodded, tracing his steps back to the house. He was curious to see what Naxxramas was like on the inside.


	3. Chapter 2: The Arrival

It didn't take long for Wolvigar's escorts to arrive. Though he attempted to make conversation, it seemed not all Death Knights were as friendly as Marrow had been.

He was led to a small Scourge outpost, and was flown via Scourge gryphon to the plague citadel above. Once there, he was greeted by an armored skeleton.

"You! What you doin' here!?" The skeleton shouted at him, holding it's weapon ready for a possible battle.

"I'm here to begin my training as a Death Knight." Wolvigar replied.

"Oh." The skeleton said, sheathing it's weapon. "This way!" It shouted at him, walking towards a hallway nearby.

Wolvigar followed the skeleton, looking at the walls and people around him as he made his way deeper into Naxxramas.

"What's your name?" Wolvigar asked the skeleton.

"Don't got one!" It quickly replied.

"Why don't you have a name?" Wolvigar asked, curious.

"Don't need one!"

"And why not?"

The skeleton stopped, seeming confused for a moment. "Don't know. Don't matter, anyways."

After a few more moments of walking, Wolvigar and the skeleton were stopped by a mounted Death Knight.

"New recruit?" The Death Knight asked the Skeleton.

"Yep! All yours!" The skeleton replied, walking away quickly.

"And what are we going to call you, recruit?"

"Marrow at Stratholme gave me the name Wolvigar."

"Seems fitting, I suppose. Come, let me explain what you'll be doing here."

Wolvigar nodded, following the man. He looked around, seeing a glimpse of what he'd most likely be doing from then on. Soon after, the Death Knight he was following stopped, and ordered him to do the same.

"Now, recruit Wolvigar, let me properly introduce myself. I am Commander Bloodsworn, one of several Death Knight commanders you'll show proper respect to. At the moment, Instructor Razuvious is busy with a training session for other recruits like yourself, so I'll be explaining what you'll do from here on, do you understand?"

Wolvigar nodded. "I do."

"Good, perhaps you'll be better than most of the failures we've had. Each day, you will be ordered to train your abilities with weaponry and Scourge magic. Near the end of the day, Instructor Razuvious will pull you and many other recruits into his training area and order you to spar with other recruits, to both strengthen yourself and to see your ability first-hand."

"I understand." Wolvigar replied.

"You are not to slack off, or you _will_ be punished severely. And I warn you, Naxxramas and it's commanders do not show mercy to those who have failed to uphold their duties. Do you understand?"

Wolvigar nodded yet again.

"Good... good. Come with me, I will ensure you are given the equipment you'll be using from here on."

Wolvigar followed Commander Bloodsworn to a strange forge-like structure built into the wall, with shelves and weapon racks placed around it.

"I have a new recruit for you to equip properly, Rotblade." Commander Bloodsworn said to another armored man standing by the structure.

"Oh, _joy._" The man said.

"Do you wish to be punished yet again, Rotblade? You will show the proper respect or you will be shown the proper punishment!"

"Fine, fine, you have my apologies, Commander. I'll make sure this recruit gets his gear."

"Good. I'm off, then. Suffer well, recruit." Bloodsworn said as he left.

Wolvigar looked at the armor on the shelves around him, and the swords and axes in the weapon racks. Then, he looked back to the strange structure in front of him.

"Never seen a runeforge before, eh?" Rotblade asked.

"No... I've not seen any of this before." Wolvigar quickly replied.

"Well, first time for everything, I suppose. Tell me, you prefer an axe or a sword?"

"A... sword, I guess." Wolvigar said, looking at the weapon racks.

"No room for guessing, recruit, remember that." Rotblade told him, grabbing a sword from one of the racks. "This'll be your runeblade. Think of it as more of an extension of yourself, rather than a weapon only. Since you've never seen a runeforge before, I'll teach you how to use one. There are three flames within the runeforge. To properly runeforge your blade, you must hold it over each flame for a short amount of time, which will emblazon runes of Frost, Unholy, and Blood magics into your blade. Try it." Rotblade explained.

Wolvigar nodded, reaching his arm out to hold the sword over each flame for a few moments. Soon after, he pulled the sword from the forge, gazing at it's newly-embedded runes.

"Good work, recruit. Now, let me find a set of armor that should fit you."

As Rotblade searched for a set of armor, Wolvigar still stared at the runes on his blade. He was curious as to what exactly they would do in battle.

"Here we are, recruit. This set should fit you nicely. Try it on." Rotblade told him, handing him the armor.

Wolvigar quickly equipped the armor, walking around in it for a few moments to ensure he could move properly with it equipped.

"Just as your blade is an extension of your arms and hands, think of your armor as an extension of your very bones and skin. You are weakened without it, and the Scourge do not look kindly on weakness.

"I understand. I will keep it equipped at all times." Wolvigar said.

"Good, good, you're a hell of a lot smarter than most of the recruits I walk through this. Well, that's all I'm supposed to help you with. Go, wait outside Razuvious' training area."

Wolvigar nodded, and saluted Rotblade, walking towards the training area.

After only minutes of waiting, a man in much different armor, who was presumably Razuvious himself, emerged from the training area.

"You're the new recruit Bloodsworn told me of, I presume?"

"I am, indeed." Wolvigar replied, bowing.

"I am Instructor Razuvious. You've missed my training session today, but we'll have you attend every day starting tomorrow. Understand, recruit?"

"I do."

"Good. You show promise already, recruit. Go, and rest... it is a comfort you will no longer have after this day." Razuvious explained, walking away.

Wolvigar was curious about everything so far; His blade, the training, the sparring... but he would rest as Razuvious allowed him to, and would be prepared for his training in Naxxramas the next day.


	4. Chapter 3: The Training

The past night had been strange. Wolvigar seemed to not need sleep, which he later believed must have been due to his being undead.

As he awaited the time of his training, he noticed a familiar face approach.

"Marrow? What are you doing here?" Wolvigar asked, getting up from sitting against a wall.

Marrow sighed as he stopped. "The damned Argent Dawn raided Stratholme. The lucky bastards killed Rivendare. I helped to bring his body back to be re-animated... again."

"Who are the Argent Dawn?" Wolvigar asked, curious.

"They're a group of mainly paladins, they've been a thorn in our side for a long while, here in the Plaguelands. They grouped up outside Stratholme and raided the place. Me and a few others were able to go in and retrieve Rivendare's corpse, and we just dropped it off here." Marrow explained, obviously in a very foul mood.

"My apologies for all the questions, but... who is Rivendare?"

Marrow chuckled, somewhat bitterly. "Rivendare was in charge down in Stratholme. He's a Death Knight, like us."

Wolvigar nodded. "I see. I apologize, but I must go to train alongside the other initiates. I've heard what happens to those who don't show... and I'd much prefer to not find out first-hand."

"You're damn right you don't want to find out." Marrow said, laughing. "Go, I won't keep you here any longer."

Wolvigar bowed, and walked towards a circular arena-like room. Behind and in front of him rushed other initiates, until most all of them stopped to face Razuvious, who stood in the middle of the arena.

"Most of you are here. That is good." Razuvious said, his voice echoing through the halls. "Today you will learn of cruelty, brutality... anger, and hatred. You will discover these within yourself, and will learn to use them as your most deadly weapons. Pair up in groups of two, and spar. No wooden targets will incite these feelings as much as those who wish to surpass you will."

The initiates nodded, Wolvigar included. They paired up into groups of two, as commanded. Wolvigar faced his sparring partner.

"I will prove to my masters that I am truly powerful... and I will start by decimating _you._" The initiate spoke, staring hatefully at Wolvigar.

"I would be more convinced if you used your weapon rather than your words." Wolvigar told him, chuckling slightly.

The initate's expression went from hateful to angry. He quickly raised his sword into the air, and attempted to swiftly bring it down onto Wolvigar's head. Having expected immediate retaliation, Wolvigar blocked the attack with his own sword, pushing forward to knock the initate back.

"We were to use our anger... not be used by it. You don't seem to be a very good listener!" Wolvigar shouted at him.

The initiate growled, rushing at Wolvigar in an attempt to impale him with his sword. Wolvigar quickly rushed a bit to the left, allowing the initiate to run past him as Wolvigar kicked his back, forcing him onto the ground.

Instructor Razuvious came by to watch the sparring match between Wolvigar and his partner, as he had done with the other pairs.

"Good, good... Your anger gives you strength, and your cruelty deals a much larger blow than that of a blade. Get up, initiate! Surely you will not be bested so quickly and easily!" Razuvious shouted, chuckling afterwards.

The initiate stood up quickly, and gripped his blade tightly, slashing at Wolvigar multiple times. Wolvigar would block all but one slash, which tore through his armor and left a scar across his chest. He growled angrily, and swung wildly at the initiate, forcing the initiate back against a wall. Wolvigar shoved his sword's tip forward, piercing through the initiate's shoulder and pinning him into the wall.

"I yield, I yield! Don't kill me!" The initiate wailed.

Razuvious laughed. "Show no mercy... even to those who can no longer do you harm. This one has failed his test, and does not deserve a second chance. Kill him."

Wolvigar pulled his blade from the wall and the initiate, and stared at the trembling man for a few moments. His anger had gone, and he pondered what he should do for a moment.

Unfortunately, he had pondered a moment too much. Razuvious took Wolvigar's blade, and used it to cut the initiate's head off.

"There is no room for hesitation, initiate!" Razuvious yelled to Wolvigar. "You will find that I am not as forgiving or as kind as those you've met... and you will find that I do not condone failure. 100 lashes for you!" He shouted, signaling for two Death Knights nearby to drag Wolvigar away.

As Wolvigar was dragged away, he pondered why Razuvious had killed the initiate, and punished Wolvigar for his hesitation.

His 100 lashes gave him the realization that the training that he had gone through that day had not been the first of it's kind.


End file.
